The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.

Loading ...

Loading ...

This story appears in the {{article.article.magazine.pretty_date}} issue of {{article.article.magazine.pubName}}. Subscribe

When Rolex unveiled its new Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller at the Baselworld Fair in March, the groundbreaking design was received with either scorn or superlatives. Rolex purists complained about the unorthodox dial with its prominent 24-hour ring that functions as a second time zone, while others praised the aesthetic departure as well as the watch’s technical advancements.

Aimed at frequent fliers and powered by the new caliber 9001 movement, Sky-Dweller boasts 14 patents, five of which are new. Local time is displayed with central hands, while home time is indicated by a red arrow pointing at an hour number on the aforementioned rotating disc. The rotating Ring Command bezel allows you to easily set local time, home time, and date with a twist in either direction.

Of particular interest is the annual calendar that requires adjustment only once per year on March 1. Rolex named the innovative calendar mechanism Saros after the cycle of alignment patterns between the sun, earth, and moon that produces lunar and solar eclipses. The mechanism is based on a fixed planetary gear wheel with an orbiting satellite wheel that is fitted with four fingers, one for each 30-day month. The satellite wheel orbits the planetary wheel once per month, and at the end of a 30-day month, the finger triggers the calendar disc to jump twice within a few milliseconds to advance from the 30th to the 1st. Months are indicated with apertures positioned at each corresponding hour marker around the dial’s periphery. In January, for example, the window positioned at 1 o’clock displays the color black.

Rolex Sky Dweller in 18-karat Everose gold

“This is a useful complication that is novel in its design and brilliant in its execution,” says John Reardon, head of watches at Sotheby’s in New York, who notes that Rolex has concentrated more on its core collection than on complications in recent decades. “From an auction perspective, it’s such a rarity to present a complicated Rolex. In the 1950s and 60s, they made the Ref 8171, which is a cult collectible—now that’s the ultimate Rolex you could own with a calendar and a moon phase.” Available in 18-karat white gold with bracelet ($48,850), 18-karat yellow gold with bracelet ($46,150), or Rolex’s proprietary Everose gold on a leather strap ($39,550), Sky-Dweller is scheduled to land at U.S. retailers this fall.